Dumb C-Beam!
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 988
Likes: 7
From: Sarasota Fl
Dumb C-Beam!
'91 L98 auto. Just finished rebuilding the tranny and have it all hooked up to the engine. I moved onto the c-beam and driveshaft but have been temporarily beat by the c-beam installation.
I searched the archives and found some people saying they had put theirs back in, but no specifics or hints.
I've tried it with the tranny/motor leaned all the way back and all the way up and still can't get the c-beam in. The stupid parking brake cable isn't making it any easier either!
I tried sliding it to the passenger side and pushing it all the way to the rear, but it is still too wide for the tranny to be jacked back up and clear it. It seems like I've tried everything! I even tried putting in the driveshaft first and then seeing if that help - but nope, it didn't.
Are there any tricks to this? Its been kicking my butt for about an hour and a half now.
I'm going to get back at it and keep checking my laptop in the garage every couple of minutes. I'll update if I get it back in before someone responds, although its unlikely.
Thanks in advance,
Jonathan
I searched the archives and found some people saying they had put theirs back in, but no specifics or hints.
I've tried it with the tranny/motor leaned all the way back and all the way up and still can't get the c-beam in. The stupid parking brake cable isn't making it any easier either!
I tried sliding it to the passenger side and pushing it all the way to the rear, but it is still too wide for the tranny to be jacked back up and clear it. It seems like I've tried everything! I even tried putting in the driveshaft first and then seeing if that help - but nope, it didn't.
Are there any tricks to this? Its been kicking my butt for about an hour and a half now.
I'm going to get back at it and keep checking my laptop in the garage every couple of minutes. I'll update if I get it back in before someone responds, although its unlikely.
Thanks in advance,
Jonathan
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 3,014
Likes: 18
From: Raleigh, NC
Lower the tranny almost as far as it will go. Manuever the C-beam past the parking brake cable and onto the rear end. It won't slide over the rear end in the correct manner, but it will kind of wedge in there cockeyed.
Use a rubber mallet or block of wood to tap the C-beam backwards until it is near the correct front to rear position. Start to jack the transmission up.
As the transmission goes up, keep messing with the C-beam. At some point, you'll have to use a pry bar or block of wood to move the tranny towards the drivers side a little. That will allow enough room for the C-beam to slide up next to the transmission and finally into the correct position over the trans.
Good luck!
Use a rubber mallet or block of wood to tap the C-beam backwards until it is near the correct front to rear position. Start to jack the transmission up.
As the transmission goes up, keep messing with the C-beam. At some point, you'll have to use a pry bar or block of wood to move the tranny towards the drivers side a little. That will allow enough room for the C-beam to slide up next to the transmission and finally into the correct position over the trans.
Good luck!
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 988
Likes: 7
From: Sarasota Fl
Lower the tranny almost as far as it will go. Manuever the C-beam past the parking brake cable and onto the rear end. It won't slide over the rear end in the correct manner, but it will kind of wedge in there cockeyed.
Use a rubber mallet or block of wood to tap the C-beam backwards until it is near the correct front to rear position. Start to jack the transmission up.
As the transmission goes up, keep messing with the C-beam. At some point, you'll have to use a pry bar or block of wood to move the tranny towards the drivers side a little. That will allow enough room for the C-beam to slide up next to the transmission and finally into the correct position over the trans.
Good luck!
Use a rubber mallet or block of wood to tap the C-beam backwards until it is near the correct front to rear position. Start to jack the transmission up.
As the transmission goes up, keep messing with the C-beam. At some point, you'll have to use a pry bar or block of wood to move the tranny towards the drivers side a little. That will allow enough room for the C-beam to slide up next to the transmission and finally into the correct position over the trans.
Good luck!
I'll try that - I expected some force would be needed!
Jonathan
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 20,847
Likes: 959
From: I tend to be leery of any guy who doesn't own a chainsaw or a handgun.
I had a similar problem with mine. I thought the problem was my "fault", as surely the car was designed with adequate space to slide the beam in without the amount of frustration I was experiencing. To my amusement, while working with the technicians at one of the GM proving grounds, I noticed the guys would make a slight "ball peen adjustment" to a protruding flange piece of the floor pan. The techs were a bunch of sharp guys, and if there were a better way, they'd do it. I made the same tweak to mine, and it's saved me a bunch of time over the years, as I'm frequently changing stuff on mine. If you're an NCRS nut, then perhaps the "adjustment" I mentioned won't be your cup of tea.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 988
Likes: 7
From: Sarasota Fl
The internet is awesome!
Seriously, I would have spent a good while longer before I resorted to using the force it required to properly install the c-beam. That is why I like this forum so much.
Total time for a response: 7 min
Time to Install: 6 min
Tools: Piece of wood, dead blow hammer
That's ball peen adjustment sounds useful - I'm guessing it was made on the passenger side?
Pics:
(Yeah, I know my floor looks a little rough - I'm getting set to order that RaceDeck flooring as soon as I finish with this project....)
Total time for a response: 7 min
Time to Install: 6 min
Tools: Piece of wood, dead blow hammer
That's ball peen adjustment sounds useful - I'm guessing it was made on the passenger side?
Pics:
(Yeah, I know my floor looks a little rough - I'm getting set to order that RaceDeck flooring as soon as I finish with this project....)
Last edited by janarvae; Jul 19, 2008 at 07:57 PM.
Pro
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 707
Likes: 0
From: Syracuse Utah
Here is a tremendous tip that almost no one mentions--undo the brake cable! It is made to come apart at the clip about in the middle, and snaps back together with a little mussle. Makes it so much easier.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 988
Likes: 7
From: Sarasota Fl
I was using a pick to pry out the dog-tag reminiscent nylon line connector. I was more afraid of trying to get that back on than forcing it too!
If I had disconnected and connected that line before there would be no question that would have been my move.
Thanks,
Jonathan
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Drifting
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,613
Likes: 0
From: Orlando FL
i did transmission work on mine as well. i believe the actual FSM instructions are "pry transmission to driver's side" WHAT? i found that if you slip a long screwdriver between the c-beam and the mounting flange on the tranny and tap the c-beam up, it works well. although it seems that they only needed to give it like another INCH of clearance to make this a much simpler job.
